Oneida County BOA grants CUP for adolescent recovery center
The Oneida County Board of Adjustment met July 25 to discuss a conditional use permit for construction of a 36-bed residential adolescent treatment center in Cassian. The board unanimously approved the CUP after the Planning and Development Committee unanimously denied it this past April. Star Journal photo
Chair hopes GLITC, Cassian work together in ‘good spirit’
By Eileen Persike
Editor
RHINELANDER – “It’s a good day.”
That was Bryan Bainbridge’s reaction when the Oneida County Board of Adjustment granted Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council a conditional use permit to build an adolescent recovery and wellness center in the town of Cassian. Bainbridge is the CEO of GLITC.
“My first interaction with [BOA chairman Harland Lee] and having a conversation with him seemed like he was willing to listen, and it showed, and really go through and deal with the facts,” Bainbridge said. “It’s what we’ve been trying to do for over a year now.”
The BOA met July 25, a continuation of the June 27 meeting, and voted to overturn the Oneida County Planning and Development Committee’s CUP denial in April.
“The CUP has been unanimously approved by this board,” said chairman Lee. “The conditions that require the tribes and the town to work together on, I would hope that they would work in good spirit and come to amenable solutions to whatever issues are there.”
GLITC is a consortium governed by 11 sovereign nations in Wisconsin and one in Michigan. It purchased nearly 300 acres in Cassian to build a 36-bed residential facility to serve native and non-native youth ages 13-17, who suffer from substance use disorder and related mental health conditions. GLITC held a ground blessing at the property a year ago, but struggled since to gain the needed permit.
The BOA addressed nine articles that make up the CUP. Some of the articles were approved with conditions, others were simply approved. The first article sought to determine whether the facility would put the public in danger. Rather than being detrimental, Lee said, the proposed youth wellness recovery treatment center would promote the health, safety, morals, comfort and general welfare of the public.
“I think that has been substantially indicated with the documentation that we have seen,” Lee said.
“With regard to safety, there is some inherent level of safety just by treating these youth and removing whatever adverse safety effects they might have on the general public,” he added.
The first article was approved with two conditions; that an emergency search and rescue plan is in place prior to opening, and since the facility is not a prison, Lee recommended security measures be approved by the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office.
Other concerns voiced by members of the Planning and Development Committee, such as water use, utilities, protection of the tax base and reduced property values, were used to deny the CUP in April but the BOA disagreed.
“One of the largest concerns of the neighboring property owners, and the town of Cassian in general is the question of sovereignty and what effect that would have on the area,” Lee said. “This is an understandable concern, but one needs to understand and respect that there is no tribe or tribal organization that would ever totally give up their sovereignty.”
Another recurring issue for the town and the Planning and Development Committee was concern the consortium would turn the property into trust, where it would generally not be subject to state laws and county and town governance. Lee noted GLITC indicated it does not meet the legal requirements for this to happen and that it would not occur.
“Neither of these issues is a requirement of obtaining a CUP in the first place, nor have such requirements been made of any other CUP application,” Lee said. “And to do so would be without merit, as we’ve seen, and would also be seen as prejudicial by any court.”
Bainbridge said he felt frustration through the many CUP hearings, but it was important to him to keep the negative mindset and biases out of the process.
“I don’t hold any animosity toward anyone,” Bainbridge said. “It’s not lip service; I want to be a good neighbor and bring things to the community for everyone that’s involved in the area.”
GLITC has said it will pay for paving the road, bringing in three-phase electric, gas and improved internet along with the project.
“Next step is back to our board of directors and see what they think,” Bainbridge said. “There was some, and even me, some disappointment in the actions and the decision from the last go around and we’re on a timeline. We see the dire need … it wasn’t fast tracked, we didn’t try to fast track anything but we tried to go through a process that just kept on getting extended, getting extended, getting extended way longer than it should have.”
Cassian Town Chair Patty Francoer said she will set up a town meeting to go over everything from last week’s BOA decision. She anticipates a long road ahead.
“We were opposed but it does not mean that now that it’s approved we would sit there and not want the best for the town and the facility to be successful,” Francoer said.
“I think it’s important to acknowledge this board, and the opening statements of this chairman,” Bainbridge said. “The respect of the people, and sovereignty and just because the tribes have a special political position doesn’t mean that we have to have a bias held to us because of that; and it was all fear-based. I have to applaud these guys because they’re not exposed to it on an everyday basis.”
Bainbridge said the goal remains to have doors open by the end of December 2025.
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